Canner&#39;s cooking-crate.



666,629. Patented m. 22, mm,

W. A.'BOBINSON.' I CANNER'S cooxme CRATE.

. (Aplilicntion filed Ap 26, 190a) (No Model.)

UNITED STATES FFICE.

\VILLIAM A. ROBINSON, OF INDEPENDENCE, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF THREE- EIGHTHSTO CORA F. ROBINSON, OF SAME PLACE.

CANNERS COOKING-CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of, Letters Patent No. 666,629, dated January22, 1901. Application filed April 26, 1900. Serial No. 14,401. (Nomodel.)

To all, whom, it may concern-.-

Be it known that- I, WILLIAM A. ROBINSON, a citizen of the United Statesof America, and aresidentofIndependence,Buchanan county, Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Canners Cooking-Grates,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in canners cooking-crates; and theobject of my improvementis to provide compressionplates in a cratearranged to bear upon the tops of cans contained therein, thuspreventing ruptn re of the covers caused by internal steampressure whilethe contents of the cans are cooking and rendering practicable the usein the covers of soft or taggers tin. I attain this object by the meansillustrated in the accom panying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sideelevation of the crate containing several cans and in operativeposition. Fig. 2 is a top plan. view of the same.

Similar letters referto similar parts throughout the several views. Y

D represents a tray having upturned edges. This tray is perforated atseveral places for the reception of the bolts E E. The bolts E E arepassed upward through the perforations in the tray and through holes inthe plates 13 and A, which correspond in relative position with theperforations in the tray D. The bolts E E are provided at one end withthe heads E E to retain them in place and at the other ends with thenuts E E the latter being beveled on their under surfaces.

.The holes in the plates A and B, as well as those in the cross-bars GG, are made of a square form and of sufficient size to permit of saidbars being lifted oi? the bolts E E over the nuts E E The cross-bars G Gare placed over the plate A, and between them and the nuts E E wedges FF are introduced. These wedges F F are provided with slots sufficient inwidth to admit the shafts of the bolts E E.

The blocks H H have slots of the same pattern as those in the wedges forthe admission of the bolts, are detachable, and may be of any desiredthickness.

The wedges F F may be connected to the cross-bars G G by means of chainsK K or in any other equivalent manner.

When the tray D has been filled with cans and the plate B is placed upontheir tops, a second series of cans may be placed upon the plate B. Theplate A is then so placed that it bears upon the tops of the upper rowsof cans, the cross-bars placed over the plate,

and the nuts E E brought down nearly to,

the surfaces of the cross-bars. These nuts are then turned so that theirlower beveled faces are opposed to the upper faces of the wedges whenthe latter are introduced between them and the cross-bars. The wedgesare then driven home between the nuts and cross-bars, which operationlocks the parts and forms a tight connection, pressing thecompression-plates A and B into close contact with the tops of the cans.

When it is desired to place cans of smaller sizes in the crate, thecompression-plates A and B may be kept in operative position byintroducing blocks, such as H H, between the cross-bars and wedges.

It is to be understood that my invention covers any variation in size ornumber of compression-plates or in the shape of the compression-platesother than the particular form shown, which may present equivalentfeatures to conform to the style of carrying-crate used. It is wellknown that when the ordinary forms of cooking-crates are used,whereinthe cans have their ends uncompressed, the confined steam generatedwithin the cans during the process of cooking will rupture coversconstructed of the soft or taggers tin. My form of crate, with itscompression-plates confining the ends of the cans, obviates this, andthe soft-tin covers are thereby kept from rupture.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination in a canners cookingcrate, of the tray D, thecompression-plates A and B and cross-bars G G, all provided withperforations through which are passed the bolts E, E, the bolts E, E,provided with the heads E, E, and having their other ends A and B andthe cross-bars G G all provided with perforations through which arepassed the bolts E, E, the bolts E, E, provided with the heads E E, onone end and with threads and the beveled nuts E E, at the other end ithe wedges F, F,'slotted to receive the shafts of the bolts E, E, andattached to the crossbars G G by means of the chains K, K, all

substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination in a canners cookingcrate, of a tray provided with acompressionplate secured by means of bolts, and nuts and 1 wedges havingbeveled faces adapted toop- 5 pose each other when the wedges are driveninto place between the nuts and the surface of the compression-plates,all substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination in a canners cookingcrate, of a tray provided withcompressionplates, said plates being secured and compressed by means ofbolts provided with nuts having beveled faces adapted to oppose andengage with the beveled faces of Wedges when the Wedges are interposedbetween said nuts and the surfaces of blocks resting upon the uppersurf-aces of cross-bars placed over the compression plates, crossbarsadapted to equalize the pressure on the compressionp'lates, and slottedblocks, all substantially as shown and described.

Signed by me at Independence, Iowa, this 21st day of April, 1900.

WILLIAM A. ROBINSON.

Witnesses:

LoUIs G. SOENER. LEWIS E. ADAMS.

